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Scammers Are Using Social Media to Profit Off the Ukraine/Russia Situation
It’s not surprising, but it’s also very much not okay
If you’ve been living above ground, you know that Russia has invaded Ukraine.
People are dying.
People are fleeing.
It’s terrible and heart-breaking.
And you know what’s also terrible?
Opportunistic scammers are using this invasion to make money off of people who want to help. And in doing that, they’re also diverting money away from people and relief efforts that need it.
Many organizations are accepting donations to help Ukraine right now. There are many reputable organizations you can donate to.
But unfortunately, there are many illegitimate “organizations" collecting donations as well.
It’s nothing new, but it’s still terrible.
Do you know who you’re donating to?
Imagine this
You’re scrolling on TikTok and you see a livestream suggested to you on your for you page.
Someone is live-streaming from Ukraine and they’re asking for donations to help get themselves and their family to safety.
They’re crying, which tugs on your heart strings, so you donate, not realizing they might not even be in Ukraine and the crying and bomb sounds might just be sound effects from a video game.
Sounds sick and twisted, because it is sick and twisted.
My favorite YouTuber covers this better than I ever could, so please take a few minutes to watch his video.
What’s the point?
Bad things are happening and if you’re attempting to support the people who these bad things are happening to, do a little extra research to ensure your support is actually reaching the people who need it.
Unfortunately, scammers are everywhere and they can be quite crafty and convincing.
